FC Cincinnati at Louisville City FC: 5 Things to Know

The 6th iteration of the Dirty River Derby goes back to the shores of Kentucky as FC Cincinnati will head the Bluegrass States to play Louisville City FC. Here are 5 Things to Know going into Sunday night’s match as well as the new March to Matchday Podcast.

March to Matchday #19: Louisville City FC – Podcast

Join host Bryan Weigel and guest Taylor Sorrels of the LouCooper’s Barrel Proof Podcast for the newest show in the CST lineup. March to Matchday will provide an in-depth preview of the upcoming opponent as well as how FC Cincinnati can best defeat them. This show will hopefully fit in your drive time to work, to the pub on game day or lead you right up to game time. We hope you enjoy March to Matchday today!

5 Things to Know

To Djiby or Not to Djiby: The biggest storyline going into Saturday’s match is will FC Cincinnati Forward Djiby Fall face Niall McCabe and Louisville City. FC Cincinnati’s Senegalese Striker scored the winning goal in the club’s 3rd Round US Open Cup match and must be “hungry” for another attempt at the boys in purple. Will Coach Alan Koch elect to play Djiby tonight in a harsh environment or will he elect to use Konig or newcomer Greig? It’s a big question, but I bet the seasoned pro wants his opportunity.

The Bailey Travels to the Bluegrass: Two charter buses and a countless amount of cars will be heading down I-71 Saturday to support the men in the Orange & Blue. The “Traveling Bailey” will need to be loud as LouCity is expecting upwards of 11,000 fans in their baseball stadium. Supporters Group The Pride will also take on the LouCoopers in the 2nd leg of the plastic cup at ReSurfaced, which is located at 801 East Liberty St., Louisville KY 40204. The Pride has a 7-1 lead on aggregate, but the format for leg 2 will be 5 v 5, so anything is possible. Get down there and support the supporters squad as well.

Which Defense Gives: Both clubs have been fielding 3 center backs in their back line. It remains to be seen which back 3 FC Cincinnati will field, but the notion will be the same. Stay strong, man mark Ilic, Lancaster or Luke Spencer. Both squads rank high in most defensive categories in the USL, so which ever squad does concede, it will be difficult for the other club to come back.

Stay Compact on the Carpet: LouCity has a unique feature with their playing surface. Slugger Field offers a traditional baseball infield layout with a carpet-like turf surface over top. This feature has fouled up several defenses and Mitch Hildebrandt will really have to organize the defense ahead of him. If FC Cincinnati can stay compact on that surface or more importantly keep the score 0-0 through the first 60′, seeds of doubt may creep into the minds of LouCity & their crowd. Staying tight could give them a best chance at a point.

Consistent LCFC: With 20 guys on their roster, Coach & part-time sales manager at Radio Shack, James O’Connor has used mostly a familiar lineup. They know how to get results, they don’t make too many errors in the defensive half, and they are able to make 1 or 2 great plays to unlock defenses. I’m not sure we will see former FCC player Luke Spencer up top for LCFC, with Ilic starting most of their recent matches. Watch for Brian Ownby coming off the striker to exploit the space between the midfield & back 3.

Stay tuned to Cincinnati Soccer Talk for more news and information including our Growler Cup Predictions leading up to the Louisville City match!

At Louisville Plans

Block party near Goodwood Brewing starting at 4 P.M. FC Cincinnati fans have been invitedDI will be tailgating in the parking lot east of Slugger Field and hanging out at Against the Grain.

Viewing Parties

The supporters groups will be taking up residence at their favorite away match viewing locations. See the list below for more information.

Viewing

TV: This contest is set for a 7:30 p.m. EST kickoff on Saturday night. The match will be broadcast on Star 64 (WSTR). It can also be seen at FC Cincinnati’s pub partners or by streaming internet on the USL YouTube Channel.

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About Cincy Soccer Talk

Cincinnati Soccer Talk is a podcast devoted to Cincinnati's newest team, FC Cincinnati. We cover matches, supporters groups, the USL and more. Featuring the cast and crew of the Weigel Twins, Brad and Bryan, Bill the Lone Wolf, Boston Brazzell and of course "Mr. Free Pizza", Yosief Tzeghai. The show is hosted and produced by Nick Seuberling.

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